SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – A Swashbuckling Helping of Snicker-Inducing Fun

Would the original fans who laughed through the first SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the series persisting for a 25 years, following experiencing the most surreal of plotlines? This longevity is partly attributed to its broad appeal, tickling the sense of humor of adults – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Groove

Starting with a festive short starring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film quickly settles into a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its storyline acts as a family-friendly exploration on the pros and cons of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a detail that thrills him as it at last allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest modern American animation, the real thrill ride is the corkscrew narrative.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digimation and hand-turned elements, forever highlighting pleasing, authentically animated visuals.

Whether its freewheeling silliness will linger after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Notable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging somehow more rectangular than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment sure to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the franchise – and arguably the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those original students will likely be snickering anew.

Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on 19 December in the US, 20 December in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.